Parents Choose Paper Over Laptops for Kids' Education
A mom recently shared some unexpected news with her 11-year-old son on their drive home from school: his laptop was going to be taken away. Far from being upset, the boy was absolutely thrilled. After all, this wasn't a punishment, but something he had been longing for.
His older sister, a third-grader, had already decided to replace her school-issued laptop with traditional pen and paper. Now, he was getting the same chance. The youngster had been complaining about migraines from staring at the laptop screen and wasn't a fan of the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into the software.
"I'm just so thrilled they're getting a non-digital education for the time being," the relieved mother said.
Parents Across the Nation Join the Movement
It's not just one or two families making this switch. Parents coast to coast are choosing to wean their children off school-supplied Chromebooks and iPads. The concern? Distractions and exposure to inappropriate content they fear could be detrimental to their kids' learning experience.
These parents have begun to connect and share tips through email chains and group chats. They're creating online resources for other families who are considering asking their school districts for alternatives to the provided devices.
Making the Case for Non-Digital Learning
Emily Cherkin, a former teacher, created a toolkit to help parents navigate the process of opting out of school-issued devices. She used her experience of successfully doing so for her daughter two years ago at a middle school in the Seattle area. The toolkit, which includes research on the effectiveness of digital learning tools and templates for communication with school administrators, has already been downloaded over 3,000 times.
Research indicates that students who shift from computers to paper and pen tend to retain more information and perform better academically. Experts emphasize that there is a significant difference between teaching students to use technology and relying entirely on it for education. Students don't need to use this technology in order to understand it later in life, especially considering how rapidly technology evolves.
Addressing Concerns and Making Changes
Some parents have faced resistance when they first approach their school district about opting out of device use. However, persistence pays off. One mother was initially told that she could only opt her children out of standardized testing and sexual health lessons. After her children's teachers agreed with her request, the school allowed the children to switch to paper assignments. Now, during their free time, instead of playing games on their laptops, they read books.
Both of her children reported being happier without the laptops and doing homework by hand. "It's just a little bit harder," her son mentioned casually, as he packed his school bag and headed outside to kick a soccer ball.
Understanding the Impact of Technology in Education
Almost nine out of ten public middle and high schools provide a device for each student, according to federal statistics. Four out of five elementary schools do the same. The most common devices are Chromebook laptops, which rely on an internet connection. Younger students often receive Apple iPads or other tablets.
The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of these device policies in schools. However, there is a growing need to critically evaluate the use of digital devices in classrooms. Many teachers agree that there is too much screen time in class. "The default is always just do it on the screen," said David Stein, a math teacher and president of a local teachers' union in Maryland. "Instead of thinking about, 'Do we need to do that on the screen?' I think that that's the issue."
Opting for Non-Screen Alternatives
Some parents are still fighting for non-screen alternatives, despite not successfully opting their children out of device use entirely. One mother requested her son's assignments be printed so he doesn't have to complete them on a computer. Seeing this, some of his classmates started asking for the same. The mother also started a parent group with 75 members that is asking the district to let students leave their laptops at school rather than taking them home.
Another parent, a father of four, opted his children out of school-issued Chromebooks and bought them personal laptops. This way, he can control what his children can access while at school. He got the idea after his son's high school said it couldn't block certain websites on his school-issued laptop. "We understand the value of tech. It can really help," he said. "But also, it's really easy to screw it up."
Building Support and Momentum
In a recent school board meeting, several parents and a teacher spoke out, advocating for reducing the amount of class time students spend on devices. They expressed their admiration for their children's teachers but highlighted problems they've noticed with school-issued devices.
As more parents choose to opt their children out of school-issued devices, change is gradually happening. It's a movement that continues to grow, with more families choosing an analog education over a digital one for their kids.